سَلاَمٌa greeting إذَاwhen استَعْبَقْتَyou breathe in رَيَّاهُits fragrance أُجلِيَتْwere revealed
سَلاَمٌ إذَا استَعْبَقْتَ رَيَّاهُ أُجلِيَتْ
عَلَيكَto you مَسَارِيهِits nightly paths بِرائِحَةِwith the fragrance of العِطْرِperfume
عَلَيكَ مَسَارِيهِ بِرائِحَةِ العِطْرِ
A greeting that, when you breathe its fragrance, reveals
Peace be with you, when its fragrance surrounds you
its nightly paths to you through the scent of perfume.
Its pleasant scent lingers about you
وخَالِصُand pure شُكْرٍthanks لاnot يغِبُّlapses كَمَاjust as صَفَتْgrew clear
وخَالِصُ شُكْرٍ لا يغِبُّ كَمَا صَفَتْ
ورَقَّتْand grew fine علَىupon رُوَّاقِهاits strainer نُطْفةُa drop of الخَمْرِwine
ورَقَّتْ علَى رُوَّاقِها نُطْفةُ الخَمْرِ
And pure thanks that never lapse, as clear
Sincere thanks that do not fade like the bouquet
and fine as a drop of wine upon its strainer.
Of blossoms that adorned its portico with wine's dew
يؤَدِّيهِماhe conveys them both مَوْلىًa retainer وقَفْتُI reserved ثَنَاءَهُhis praise
يؤَدِّيهِما مَوْلىً وقَفْتُ ثَنَاءَهُ
عَلَيكَfor you فَلَمْso he did not يَهْتِفْsing praise بِزيدٍof Zayd ولاnor عَمْروAmr
عَلَيكَ فَلَمْ يَهْتِفْ بِزيدٍ ولا عَمْرو
A retainer conveys them both; I have reserved his praise
I praise my Master who enabled me to praise you
for you, so he has acclaimed neither Zayd nor Amr.
Not shouting for Zayd or Amr in acclamation
تَمَلَّكْتَyou took possession of بالبِرِّthrough kindness المُضَاعَفِredoubled رِقَّهُhis bondage
تَمَلَّكْتَ بالبِرِّ المُضَاعَفِ رِقَّهُ
فَأصْبحَso he became عَبْداًa slave وهوَand he is فيin جلْدِهِhis skin الحُرِّfree
فَأصْبحَ عَبْداً وهوَ في جلْدِهِ الحُرِّ
Through redoubled kindness, you have claimed him as your bondsman;
You won his heart by your kindness redoubled
so he became a slave, though still in a free man's skin.
So he who was free became your willing slave
ويُنهيand he reports إِلَيكَto you الحَالَthe condition إنindeed قُعُودَهُhis staying away
ويُنهي إِلَيكَ الحَالَ إن قُعُودَهُ
علَىdespite فرْطِthe abundance of ماwhat اسْتعتَبْتهُI sought pardon for it لَكَbefore you منof عُذْرِexcuses
علَى فرْطِ ما اسْتعتَبْتهُ لَكَ من عُذْرِ
And he reports his condition to you: his staying away—
Let your condition make excuse should you sit still
for all the excuses I have pleaded before you—
For the cold you so lightly complained of to me
زُكَامٌa cold لوif اسْتَسقَىsought rain from المَعَاطِسَthe nostrils صَوْبُهُits downpour
زُكَامٌ لو اسْتَسقَى المَعَاطِسَ صَوْبُهُ
أخُوone afflicted with المحْلِdrought لاسْتَغنَىwould surely suffice نَدَاهُits moisture عنinstead of القَطْرِrain
أخُو المحْلِ لاسْتَغنَى نَدَاهُ عن القَطْرِ
is due to a cold: were its downpour sought from the nostrils
A cold that if the sneezer sought its rainclouds
by one stricken with drought, its moisture would leave no need for rain.
The inhabitant of a mansion would have no need of rain
تَوَخَّىit targeted دِمَاغيmy brain لاnot يُزَايِلُdeparts سَاعَةًfor a moment
تَوَخَّى دِمَاغي لا يُزَايِلُ سَاعَةً
كَمَاjust as عَكَفَتْstayed أُمُّthe mother of الفِرَاخِthe chicks علَىover الوَكْرِthe nest
كَمَا عَكَفَتْ أُمُّ الفِرَاخِ علَى الوَكْرِ
It targeted my brain, never departing for a moment,
It has seized my brain and does not quit an hour
as the chicks' mother stays brooding over the nest.
As a mother hen broods constantly over her nest
ولَوْلاهُand but for it لَمْnot أَقْعُدْI stayed away ولَوand even if حَالَintervened بَينَهُbetween him
ولَوْلاهُ لَمْ أَقْعُدْ ولَو حَالَ بَينَهُ
وبَينِيَand between me أطْرَافُthe points of المثَقَّفَةِthe straightened spears السُّمْرِthe brown ones
وبَينِيَ أطْرَافُ المثَقَّفَةِ السُّمْرِ
And but for it, I would not have stayed away, even if between him
And were it not for this cold I would not sit
and me stood the points of straightened, brown spears.
Though the talkative with her hennaed fingers intervened
Sol 6.1